With a record-breaking 82.2% voter turnout in the May 2025 midterms, Filipinos came out strong— the biggest midterm number in history.
Naturally, it’s got people talking: Who drove this surge? And more specifically, does the “Duterte Magic” still work?
Let’s start with the Senate. The new lineup? A clean 5-5-2 split.
That’s five seats for President Marcos Jr.’s party, Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas; five for the DuterTen bloc—mostly PDP-Laban names with long-time loyalty to the former president, and two for the progressive side, with Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan both staging their return.
Among the top six Senate winners, three are firmly from the Duterte camp. Bong Go topped the race, cementing his status as a long-time Duterte ally and reliable vote-getter. In third place was Bato dela Rosa, the former PNP chief who easily secured reelection. Sixth came Rodante Marcoleta, an unlikely and previously low-polling candidate who ran as an independent but is widely known for backing Duterte-era policies and defending the former president during congressional probes.
And just when it seemed symbolic, Rodrigo Duterte pulled off one of the wildest comebacks yet, winning back the mayoralty of Davao City with over 662,000 votes, all while detained at the ICC in The Hague.
His opponent, Carlo Nograles, barely cracked 81,000. Legally, he’s still eligible to assume the post since no final conviction has been handed down. Until then, his son and running-mate Baste Duterte is expected to act as de facto mayor. If disqualification happens, the rules are clear: Baste steps up, and the top councilor becomes vice mayor.
It doesn’t end there. The rest of the Duterte clan also swept Davao. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte kept his congressional seat. Grandson Omar Duterte won with about 160,000 votes; another grandson, Rodrigo Duterte II, clinched a city council spot, and Pulong’s wife, January Duterte, is headed for the council as ABC president.
The Dutertes have Davao on lock—and they’re still managing to influence national narratives. These results matter beyond just local wins. With the Senate now holding strong Duterte representation, it could directly affect Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment process.
Allies of the family are in place and ready to shape how that plays out.
